President Obama on Friday announced a new competition to award more than $200 million in public and private investment to create a photonics manufacturing institute.
Local officials feel the Rochester area is uniquely qualified for that kind of an operation.
Photonics involves the use of light and optics, such as lasers, in a number of applications, and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter says Rochester should be very competitive in getting some of this funding. She notes that this region already has facilities in place, such as the Eastman Business Park, and area research operations that focus on optics and photonics.
"With our infrastructure and our researchers and our highly skilled workforce, our manufacturers and our universities and our own expertise, Rochester will, I am sure have a leading role in that institute."
Rob Clark is a Senior Vice President at the school of engineering and applied sciences at the University of Rochester. He says this photonics institute could bring a boost to the local economy in jobs for students and for people in the community overall.
"As we continue to build on the vibrancy of our photonics and optics industry, you'll build a larger scale of operation that will create more opportunities for collaborations for all the local universities and employment opportunities for the students.”
Slaughter says the area of optics and photonics already support 17,000 jobs in the Greater Rochester area, and getting this institute would enhance those numbers.
